Rhetorical Devices, Appeals, and Literary Terms

Question 1

the repetition of similar consonant sounds at the beginning of words or within words

Answer 1

Alliteration

Question 2

the dictionary meaning of a word, neutral definition

Answer 2

Denotation

Question 3

the emotions and associations suggested by a word

Answer 3

Connotation

Question 4

using strongly contrasting (very different) images, words, or ideas in a balanced (parallel) sentence or phrase

Answer 4

Antithesis

Question 5

expressing the same idea in different words

Answer 5

Restatement

Question 6

repeating an idea using the same words

Answer 6

Repetition

Question 7

the words the writer chooses to convey a particular meaning; word choice

Answer 7

Diction

Question 8

appealing to emotions

Answer 8

Pathos

Question 9

appealing to a writer’s character, credibility, believability, expertise and experience

Answer 9

Ethos

Question 10

appealing to logic and reasoning

Answer 10

Logos

Question 11

a figure of speech in which a comparison is made between two things that are essentially unlike

Answer 11

Metaphor

Question 12

the topic or a speech or text

Answer 12

The Subject

Question 13

what a text says about life; the central idea; sometimes a message

Answer 13

Theme

Question 14

the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques.

Answer 14

Rhetoric

Question 15

the main events of a play, novel, movie, or similar work, devised and presented by the writer as an interrelated sequence.

Answer 15

Plot

Question 16

a balance within one or more sentences of similar phrases or clauses that have the same grammatical structure; patterns in writing

Answer 16

Parallel Structure or Parallelism

Question 17

to quote (a passage, book, or author) or paraphrase as evidence for or justification of an argument or statement, especially in a scholarly work

Answer 17

Cite

Question 18

visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work; creates a mental picture in the reader’s head

Answer 18

Imagery

Question 19

part of a story that provides essential background information about the main characters and the world of the story.

Answer 19

Exposition

Question 20

the set of circumstances or facts that surround a particular event, situation, etc.

Answer 20

Context